Seahawks' Jaxon Smith-Njigba Projected to Make a Big Leap This Summer

The Seattle Seahawks are coming off an incredible 2026 season. They obviously won the Super Bowl, and that makes 2026 one of the best years ever in the history of the franchise.

But, after winning the big game, they had to part with talent that was just too expensive to keep on the roster. Cap space can be a doozie. Sure, they would have liked to have kept players like Kenneth Walker III on the roster, but they only have a certain amount of funding to work with, and they couldn’t bring back every superstar.

One superstar, however, they did bring back. Thankfully, wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba is back for 2026. He signed a four-year, $168.6 million contract extension with the team in March, making him the highest-paid wide receiver in NFL history at the time. He’s signed with the Seahawks through the 2031 season.

It’s hard to believe, but Smith-Njigba has never made the NFL’s Top 100 player list. But, that’s changing. Bucky Brooks of the NFL’s official website projects that the wideout will debut on the list this summer and land in the top 20.

“The 2025 Offensive Player of the Year swiped the crown from Justin Jefferson and Ja'Marr Chase as the NFL’s WR1,” he says in his projection.

NFL news:Daniel Jones' Injury Recovery is The Crucial Factor For The Colts in 2026

Smith-Njigba led the NFL in receiving yards at 1,793 last season, making him a no-brainer WR1. “With the 6-foot, 197-pound pass catcher emerging as an unstoppable force as a playmaker, the Seahawks made him the highest-paid player at his position this offseason,” Brooks adds.

Seahawks Lucked Out Getting Jaxon Smith-Njigba Back

Seattle made a smart, and needed, move when they extended Smith-Njigba’s contract. Not having Walker back will be a blow to the team’s offense. So, without him, they had to secure at least some of their A-list talent. Smith-Njigba was the right pick, and his chemistry with quarterback Sam Darnold is unrivaled.

More sports news: Tom Izzo Doesn't Hold Back on Michigan State Amid Administrative Turmoil

So, will the Seahawks be strong enough to get back to the Super Bowl in 2027? Time will tell, but they certainly have a shot with Smith-Njigba back for the foreseeable future.

2026 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.

This story was originally published June 16, 2026 at 1:00 PM.